As we mentioned earlier, Stephon Marbury decided to stream live video for 24 hours on UStream, a site which incorporates video with social media. Below is the introduction to his broadcast, a glimpse into his world as he dons a pair of Celtics shorts.

Stephon Marbury enjoyed putting the power of the media into his own hands when he joined Twitter earlier this year.

“i like the direct connection to the fans. no espn, no local news, just me and twitterland,” he Tweeted.

Now Marbury is taking that connection one step further. Beginning at 6am today, he is streaming his life for 24 hours on USTREAM. Check it out here and interact with him via Twitter (@starburymarbury).

The notorious video of Xavier’s Jordan Crawford dunking on LeBron James, which has been kept out of the public eye for weeks, was aired tonight on TMZ. Check out TMZ’s version here or watch this clip taped from behind the basket on eBaum Nation. (via RedsArmy)

Which dunk do you think was more impressive? Crawford’s dunk or James’ dunk against the Celtics during the 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals, which was played repeatedly in highlight reels this postseason?

Austin Ainge, son of Boston Celtics GM Danny Ainge, has been named head coach of the Portland Red Claws. He is the first head coach in the history of this NBA Development League team.

‘I have always been intrigued by new ideas and innovation,’ Red Claws President and General Manager Jon Jennings said in a team statement. ‘Austin Ainge brings that to our team. He blew me away with his ability to analyze players and game strategy. When I was a young coach with the Celtics, video was the new revolution. Today, it’s statistical analysis. Austin brings that to a whole new level. Combine that with his ability to develop players and his background, and he is going to be a fantastic head coach.’

Ainge, 27, most recently served as a scout for the Celtics. His responsibilities included working with J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker while they were assigned to the D-League’s Utah Flash. Ainge served as an assistant coach at Southern Utah University after finishing his basketball career at Brigham Young University.

‘I have had the unique opportunity to be on many sides of this business,’ Ainge said in the statement. ‘A main focus for me, as I have drawn from each situation, is talent evaluation. That includes both as the team is being assembled and during the season. As a coach, you must focus on which plays to call and what defensive adjustments to make, but even more important is which players are your best players and which lineups are playing the best together. Evaluating your own players and lineups is paramount, and using statistical analysis is a big help in making more accurate evaluations.’

Even though the Boston Celtics already participated in the Orlando Summer League earlier this month, there were still plenty of familiar faces on hand at the 2009 Las Vegas Summer League last week:

– A relaxed Paul Pierce, who has a home in Vegas, donned a backwards Red Sox hat and sunglasses to a few games last Wednesday. Later that afternoon he was joined in the stands by Celtics GM Danny Ainge during the Milwaukee Bucks/Chicago Bulls match up.

– Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck traveled to Las Vegas for the NBA’s Board of Governor’s Meeting. Grousbeck was appointed to the league’s Labor Relations Committee. While in Vegas he emphasized the Celtics commitment to winning next season to WEEI.com.

– Sam Cassell looked like the Mayor of Summer League when he made his first appearance, being swarmed by friends before sitting courtside with Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau, who spent the week eyeing talent. Cassell, of course, was sporting a huge smile but this time he had traded in his uniform for a polo and khaki shorts as assistant coach for the Washington Wizards. He was at the helm on Sunday when he led the Wiz to a victory over the New York Knicks.

– Patrick O’Bryant chatted with a reporter as he was late chasing a loose ball out of bounds with the Toronto Raptors. O’Bryant averaged 11.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots.

– Brandon Wallace returned to Vegas, the same place where the Celtics signed him to his first NBA contract two years ago. Wallace suited up for the Wizards after spending last season in Poland. He posted 3.5 points and 1.8 rebounds per game under assistant coach Cassell.

– Kevinn Pinkney is giving the NBA another shot after playing in Italy the past two seasons. Pinkney, who had a brief stint with the Celtics during the 2006-07 season, averaged 2.4 points and 2.6 boards for the Clippers.

– Orien Greene came to Vegas as a spectator hoping to catch on with an NBA team next season. He recently returned home from playing in Amsterdam.

For more on the 2009 Las Vegas Summer League check out the five things we learned, including why the league is talking Sheed.

Daniels averaged a career-high 13.6 points and 4.6 rebounds in 54 games last season.

After Grant Hill re-signed with the Phoenix Suns, several sources indicated the Celtics were still pursuing a back up for Paul Pierce. The Celtics captain averaged nearly 38 minutes per game last season.

‘Well, just like anybody in the [NBA], they’re regular people,’ Gerald Henderson, Jr. said. ‘They have a different job than most people do, but they are regular people who go about their day, go to work every day, and work hard.’

This week Henderson (Charlotte Bobcats) and Austin Daye (Detroit Pistons) — the latter the son of former Celtic Darren Daye — are trying to follow in the footsteps of their fathers at the NBA Las Vegas Summer League. While the rookies are looking to establish their own careers, they are influenced by their fathers’ careers in Boston.

The elder Henderson donned green from 1979-1984 and won two titles along the way. His last-second steal and layup against the Lakers pushed the game into overtime and an eventual victory for Boston. For his son, playing for the Celtics was the most memorable stop in his father’s 13-year career.

‘My dad played for a lot of teams, but his best years were in Boston,’ he said, adding, ‘I grew up in Philly so the Sixers … I was all about the Sixers. But I watched his game tape. Like I said, those were his best years. I was real young when he was really playing, but my images of him are in Boston.’

The images are hard to miss, especially during the postseason. His father’s steal steal was voted No. 26 in the NBA’s top 60 greatest playoff moments. Henderson estimates he has seen the play ‘hundreds of times,’ but it took a few years to realize the significance of that one play.

‘They were celebrating maybe the ’84 championship and me and my family went back and a whole bunch of people recognized him and they were saying his name,’ he recalled. ‘That’s when I kind of realized how important his play was to them winning the championship, and then also the city.’

Austin Daye also has a special memory of an iconic Celtics moment during his father’s two seasons in Boston. Ironically it was against the Pistons, the very team that drafted him.

‘I remember Larry Bird’s steal and the layup,’ he said of the memorable moment during the 1987 Eastern Conference Finals. ‘That’s one of the main things — him jumping up and down like a crazy man.’

Daye was impacted by his father’s time in Boston in a different way — he became a fan. Even though he was born just after Darren’s final season in 1988, Austin has followed the team from the West Coast and cheered for them during the 2008 Finals against the Lakers.

He even considers Paul Pierce to be one of his favorite players, and has incorporated some of the Truth’s game into his own repertoire.

‘I’m considered a big guy but I do guard-like things,’ he said. ‘So his game, I try to watch and get some things from, just the way he uses his body so well, stuff like that. He’s such a good player and his team is so good too.’

While Daye models his game after a current Celtic, Henderson is influenced by his father as he prepares for his first season with the Bobcats.

‘I think a big thing is, he played really hard,’ he said. ‘I try to bring it every time I go on the court.’

As for Daye, it isn’t necessarily what his father did on the court, but rather the support he offered away from the game.

‘It’s a really special experience,’ he said. ‘Not a lot of kids have an opportunity to come up with someone who’s always there for you. He was always there for me whenever I needed help, or if he needed to kick my butt. It was just a special experience and I’m going to cherish it until the day I die.’